• Leading research and development of emission-free solar-thermal materials synthesis technology with the aim of producing clean hydrogen and lithium-ion battery-grade graphite• Serving as Principal Investigator leading multi-disciplinary collaboration between SolGrapH and UCLA on Department of Energy funded research• Planning logistics for pilot-scale demonstration of solar-synthesis technology with target Q3 2025 demonstration date• Performing mechanical design/optimization of solar-thermal receiver/reactor• Developed radiative heat transfer and chemical kinetic model of solar-thermal deposition reactor to predict reactor efficiencies, production rates/yields, and scaling

• Research and Development scientist for vacuum-electronic devices (VED) for use in RF transmitters in airborne and space applications• Conducted electromagnetics modeling (ANSYS) to drive design• Executed parametric optimization studies to maximize transmitter power and stability• RF system testing and data analysis for production hardware• Led presentations to US government sponsors

Laboratory website: http://spectrum.seas.ucla.edu/PI: Professor R. Mitchell Spearrin• Led research programs sponsored by NASA and the Air Force Research Lab to advance detonation-based rocket technology using space-storable propellants, additive-manufacturing, and laser-based diagnostics• Designed, built and tested experimental devices including a pulse-detonation tube, a rotating-detonation rocket combustor, a liquid-bipropellant test stand, and a high-speed (MHz) laser diagnostic system. • Developed laser absorption spectroscopy sensors for greenhouses gases such as CO, CO2, H2O, and CH4• Conducted measurement campaigns both in the lab (shock/detonation tube, spectroscopy, gas cells) and at remote testing facilities (hot-fire, rocket engine diagnostics).• Mentorship/leadership of younger lab members to execute aforementioned test campaigns• Published research in peer-reviewed journals and presented research to funding agencies (Air Force, NASA) and at international conferences (International Symposium on Combustion, AIAA SciTech/P&E)• In addition to above research projects, developed optical sensors for planetary-entry shock-layer studies (collaboration with NASA Ames) and for wildfire emissions mapping (collaboration with UC Berkeley Blodgett Forest Research Station)

• Designed a modular rotating detonation rocket combustor to be used with MMH and NTO to assess the effects of injector design and combustor geometry• Led multiple week-long test campaigns in the Mojave Desert during which over 100 hot-fire tests were conducted• Conducted CFD analysis on and performed cold-flow testing for an additively-manufactured propellant injector designed to reduce pressure drops and improve back-flow resistance• Built control, instrumentation, and propellant feed systems for liquid-bipropellant test stand• Collected and analyzed high-speed camera data to track detonation wave dynamics and correlate with thrust data

• Designed, manufactured, and tested a pulse detonation tube which served as a test-bed for laser diagnostics in detonation gas flows• Built opto-electronic hardware to extend laser-absorption measurement rates above 1 MHz (×10 improvement)• Measured temperature and combustion species at 3 MHz in a rotating detonation rocket engine at the Air Force Research Lab to assess loss-mechanisms in the engine• Developed an optical pressure sensor for high-temperature (> 3000 K) dynamic flows at MHz rates

• Collected high-pressure spectroscopic data for greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and CO) in a high-enthalpy shock-tube and high-temperature gas cell using an FTIR and DFB lasers to develop high-pressure spectroscopic models• Conducted optical measurements of temperature, CO, and CO2 in a liquid-rocket combustor at high pressures (up to 105 bar) at the Air Force Research Laboratory• Developed a versatile simulation code compatible with online databases to simulate high-temperature infrared spectra

• Created laboratory assignments, lectures, and design-build-launch project for Aerospace Engineering Senior Capstone course over 3 years• Taught students the fundamentals of rocket propulsion, manufacturing, MATLAB, CAD, FEA, and CFD• Designed, built, and tested mobile hybrid rocket test stand to test student-built rocket motors using nitrous oxide (N2O) as the oxidizer• Taught students to conduct hydrostatic, cold-flow, hot-fire, and launch tests of custom-built rockets

• Led team to design, build, and test a liquid bi-propellant rocket that launched to 12,500 feet – the highest altitude for a completely student-built liquid rocket engine at the time• Planned and executed physical cold-flow and static-fire testing of the propulsion system • Developed analysis code to predict flight performance based on hot-fire data• Designed and built liquid oxygen, nitrous, kerosene, and ethanol propellant tanks

Led the structural and aerodynamic design/manufacturing of a high-power hybrid rocket with 3 solid rocket boosters for the 2017 Spaceport America Cup.-Designed/executed layup of composite parts such as airframe body tubes, fins, nose cone, and aerodynamic fairings.-Wrote 3 DOF MATLAB simulation code to predict rocket trajectory and stability.-Integrated vehicle components such as bulkheads, airframe skins, payload, avionics, motors, and fins.

• Designed a dual deployment parachute recovery system for competition rocket for two intercollegiate competitions• Led static tests of recovery system (altimeters, black powder, CO2, separation)• Wrote and led the launch site execution of recovery system assembly and arming

Performed stress analysis to support F-35 Fuselage assembly line using tools such as PATRAN, NASTRAN, CATIA, and hand calculations to analyze the effect of manufacturing defects on the structural integrity of fuselage fasteners, frames, skins, and joints

• Created video content for company catered towards specific university courses with topics ranging from Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Mechanics with a goal of providing alternative sources of academic enrichment to college students• Produced over 100 hours of videos covering mathematical concepts and examples, test reviews for math and physics catered to specific universities nationwide (UCLA, UCB, NYU, Cal Poly SLO, etc.)